Against All Odds

Ch. 1

Chelsea's POV

"Hello girls. This is Marta from the Detroit Cancer Hospital. I called to tell you that your mother has requested that you come and see her as soon as you can. She said that she had something to tell you." I listened to the message on the answering machine when I got home from school.

"Rachel! We need to go see mom!" I called to my older sister.

"Why?" She called back from her room.

"Some lady from the hospital called and said she wanted to see us ASAP."

"Oh, okay let's go!" then she grabbed the car keys from the hook they were hanging on.

We got into her car and started the two hour drive to the hospital our mother was staying in.

We didn't really talk much on the way there.

Rachel and I couldn't be any more different. She was very girly-girlish and I was more of a Tom-boy. But, despite our differences, we were about as close as two sisters could get.

She asked me how school went and that was pretty much the conversation for the car ride.

Once we got to the hospital we walked to the front desk and the nurse there let us go see our mom.

When we were in her room, I saw a man I had never seen before. Our mother motioned us over to her bed. We walked towards her and sat near her.

"Girls," Mom said in a raspy voice, "This is my lawyer, Mr. Strauss. He has been helping me write my will these past couple of days." Then she looked at this Mr. Strauss guy and said "Henry, could you give us a moment?"

The lawyer nodded and then walked out of the room so we could talk in private.

"Girls, this is really hard to tell you. I love you so much, but the doctors have given me two days to a week to live. They said the cancer has taken over my entire body and there is no way I can survive it" She said while tears were running down her face. "Girls always remember how much I love you. When I'm gone, never forget it."

"No mom! It can't be true! Please tell me you're playing some sick prank on us!" Rachel cried.

"I'm sorry dear. I wish I was. This was as devistating to me as it is to you. There is no other way to fight this. I've made peace with the fact that I'm going to Heaven. The only bad part about it all is that I have to leave you two behind."

I could feel my heart breaking inside my chest. I felt like the world was being pulled out from underneath my feet.

"Mom" I said quietly.

"Yes sweetheart?" She asked me.

"Umm... Can I take the week off of school so we can be here when it.. You know.. Happens..?"

"Oh Honey! Of course! I'll have the hospital call your school and tell them."

I burst into tears then, because I just couldn't hold them in anymore. When I started crying, my mom and sister did, too. We were all just sitting on my mom's bed, hugging and crying.

That night Rachel and I were awakened by one of my mom's machines beeping uncontrollably.

Then, all of the sudden, dozens of doctors and nurses rushed into the room.

One kind, older nurse ushered us out of the room towards the waiting room and promised to bring back information on what was happening.

Rachel and I were still a little groggy from being just woken up from a deep sleep, but when we realized this could be it, that mom could be leaving us forever, we were wide awake.

We waited about an hour in the waiting room until the older nurse came out with a sad look on her face.

"I'm so sorry, girls." She said, giving us each a hug. "She passed about 15 minutes ago. We did everything we could to revive her. There was nothing we could do."

"But, but," Rachel stammered. "The doctors to us she had a week to live! It's only been, like, 6 hours!"

"That was just an estimate. No one could've know it would happen so quickly."

Before Rachel could have another outburst, I thanked the nurse for being so kind and informing us. She hugged us both again and then sadly walked away.

Then Rachel and I burst into tears for the second time that day.

Rachel's POV

Today marked the day that our mother has been dead for a week. We sat in the office of Mr. Henry Strauss to discuss our mother's will and where we will live.

"Hello girls. How are you doing?" He asked us as he walked into his office to meet with us.

"Well we're doing as well as can be expected, I guess..." Chelsea replied.

"Well, I have your mother's will here. She didn't have much but she didn't want you two living alone. She really wanted to tell you this herself but she asked me to if she didn't have enough time. She has asked an old friend of hers to take care of Chelsea so you can go to college. "

My heart sank. I won't be seeing Chelsea all of the time?

"I'm twenty-one! I can take care of Chelsea and myself just fine!"

"I was afraid this would be your reaction. Girls, I'm sorry but these next few statements may make it worse. The man you will be living with goes by the name P. Henderson."

Who the heck is P. Henderson?

"Huh. Never heard of him." Chelsea said.

"You didn't let me finish. Girls, he lives in Cailfornia."

Wait, what?

"Wait, do you mean the state of California? The state on the opposite side of the country?" I asked.

"Yes" Mr. Strauss answered.

"And Chelsea's expected to just pack up her things and move there? And I'm expected to just stay here, all alone with her across the country?"

"Well, you make it sound alot wo-"

"No! I am NOT going to let this happen! I am not just going to let Chelsea move in with someone I have never met, or even heard of, while I go party at a college! Not happening!"

"Rachel," Chelsea said quietly, "It's what mom wanted." She looked like she was about to cry.

"Oh Chelsea!" I cried, hugging her. "I'm so sorry. We'll move to California if you really want to."

"Well, I don't really want to leave all of my friends, but mom wanted the best for us, and she thought leaving me with this P. Henderson guy was best. So I'm believing her."

"Okay." I Iooked at Mr. Strauss. "Am I aloud to go to a college in California?"

A week later we finished packing our things and loaded them into Mr. Strauss' car. He was going to take us to the airport where we would get on the plane to our new life.